Welcome to the NHC!
The National Havurah Committee (NHC) is anetwork of diverse individuals and communi-ties dedicated to Jewish living and learning,community building, and
tikkun olam
(repair-ing the world). For nearly 30 years, the NHC hashelped Jews across North America envision a joyful grassroots Judaism, and has provided thetools to help people create empowered Jewishlives and communities. The NHC is a nonde-nominational, multigenerational, egalitarian,and volunteer-run organization.The NHC’s flagship program, the week-longSummer Institute, is a unique opportunity forserious study, moving prayer, spirited conversa-tion, late-night jam sessions, singing, dancing,swimming, meditation, and hiking –all in the company of more than300 people from a wide range of backgrounds. Each year participantsleave the Institute reinvigorated and excited to return to their homecommunities to share new ideas and experiences.One of the NHC’s greatest strengths is the diversity of its participants.We are musicians, doctors, students, furniture makers, retirees, Jewishprofessionals, homemakers, teachers, activists, and just about every-thing else. At the 2006 Summer Institute, the youngest participant wasa newborn, and our oldest was over 80, with many participants from allage groups in between. The NHC includes Jews from birth, Jews bychoice, people committed to both traditional and non-traditional Jewishpractice, non-Jews, and people exploring Judaism. NHC participantshave a variety of identities including: LGBT and straight; people of color,Sefardi, Mizrachi and Ashkenazi; urban, rural, and suburban;Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, Renewal, secular,and Jewish without labels. NHC participants also have a variety of Jewishlearning backrounds from people with no formal Jewish education topeople with Ph.D.s in Talmud. The dynamic process of exploring togeth-er what Judaism and Jewishness means in our lives is a highlight of theInstitute.At the Institute, every teacher is also a student and every student is ateacher. People who are usually called “rabbi” or “professor” through-out the year go by their first names here. And people who rarely takeactive leadership roles in their communities discover that they, too, canteach and contribute to the community.One participant summed it up best when she wrote after attending herfirst Havurah Institute: “The Havurah Institute was slightly closer toheaven on earth than other places I’ve been before. It was a week oflearning, singing, dancing, talking, thinking, and feeling.... You couldmake friends with anyone regardless of age or affiliation. It was a placefull of individuals and families of all ages, shapes, colors, orientationsand interests, united by a love of learning and teaching and a desire tomake Judaism a positive force in their lives.”We look forward to creating community with you at this summer’sInstitute!
The 2007 SummerInstitute Theme
The 2007 Summer Institute theme, select-ed by the participants at last summer’sInstitute, is “
V’rav sh’lom banayich
–Greatshall be the peace of thy children.” Thetheme is from Isaiah 54:13 which is part of the haftarah that will be read during theInstitute week. The full text of this verse is“And all thy children shall be taught of theLORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” Thus during the week of Institute in our classes and programs, we will explore what it means to teach childrenand ourselves about God and about peace. We will examine what the verse might mean when it says that being taught about Godbrings peace. What is that peace? In what ways can we work for peace within our-selves, our families, and our world? Duringthe week of Institute, we also seek to builda “great peace” among those gathered in thiscommunity.
A Day at the Institute
During a typical day at the Institute, you will:•take two classes with dynamic teachers•attend stimulating optional workshops•choose from exciting prayer, text study,and yoga options•enjoy delicious kosher vegetarian food•spend free time relaxing in a beautiful nat-ural setting•participate in evening programs andentertainment•make and renew friendships, have greatconversations, laugh, think, sing, dance,and learn
Courses
At the center of the Institute are 26 coursesoffered in morning and afternoon sessions.Each course has a maximum of 20 studentsand is led by a teacher who is also anInstitute participant, presenting material heor she loves, in an inclusive style thatencourages everyone to participate. Choosefrom classes in traditional texts, Jewishethics, Torah commentary, poetry, danceand singing, Judaism and Islam, and con-temporary topics. Your background is notimportant; your desire to learn is.
The NHC Board would like to increase the funds available to underwrite work-study and reduced-fee options. If youcan’t come to the Institute this year, please consider making a contribution to help someone else come. Donationscan be sent to the NHC office at 7135 Germantown Avenue, 2nd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19119 or contact us atInstitute@Havurah.org, 215-248-1335.
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